STAGGERINGLY low footfall has been blamed by a major bank as its set to close dozens across the UK.
HSBC has confirmed 114 sites will shut next year in the latest round of cuts and as many as 100 staff could lose their jobs. The bank said the decline in visits has been going on for five years – escalated by the pandemic.
The branch in Middle Road, Park Gate, is among the casualties – earmarked for closure on July 11, 2023. At some locations, less than 250 customers are served a week, HSBC said.
HSBC has announced dozens of branch closures across the UK. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images.
Other branches to close are in Alton and New Milton in Hampshire, Ryde on the Isle of Wight and in Bognor Regis.
The company stressed it hopes to redeploy all its employees at affected locations, either to other branches or to a different position.
Jackie Uhi, HSBC UK’s managing director of UK distribution, said: ‘People are changing the way they bank and footfall in many branches is at an all-time low, with no signs of it returning. Banking remotely is becoming the norm for the vast majority of us.
‘In addition to our branch network, customers can access services through the Post Office network, our community pop-ups and soon-to-come banking hubs, alongside Live Chat, social media and through telephone banking.
Ms Uhi added it is ‘never easy or taken lightly, especially if we are the last branch in an area’. She said HSBC has ‘invested heavily’ in providing free tablets – 1,500 – to customers who do not have a device to bank digitally.
Earlier this year, HSBC said it was closing 69 branches.
